I'd Rather Be With You
by derekhales
Summary: AU. Cam Saunders returns to Degrassi and the Toronto Ice Hounds after abruptly leaving Toronto and taking a hiatus from the team - without saying goodbye to anyone. What will happen when he returns, reunites with Maya and his old friends, and realizes that nothing has been the same since he left last March?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This chapter is short but it's to get things rolling. This story is going to be written in a dramatic, Degrassi style fashion so multiple ships will happen and lots of drama will take place. Hope you'll like it! Also, yes, this is ultimately a Camaya fic but like I said - multiple ships will happen here so don't get angry with me if it's not what you expected from the start. XX**

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Cam's heart raced as he looked at the front entrance of Degrassi Community School. It had been an entire year since he had left in the middle of the night to return home - just shortly after letting the coach of the Ice Hounds know that he was taking a hiatus from the team. Part of him was nervous about entering the school because he would have to explain everything to his teammates, his ex-girlfriend, and his old friends that still went to school there. Though, he knew he was ready to do this and get it over with - after all - his anxiety was almost completely gone and he was a new, confident Cam Saunders.

As he stepped inside the school, the television screens through out the halls played as Drew Torres spoke to the student body about the upcoming week at school. That was a little more than weird to Cam, giving Drew's reputation as being dumber than a box of rocks. "So I leave for a year and this place goes straight to Hell? Nice!" Cam muttered to himself as he headed to his new locker, holding the card with his schedule in his hand. His first class was French, just like the year before when he first showed up at Degrassi, and immediately he felt a lump form in his throat at the memories. Then he realized, that if Maya was still in French, he would be seeing her sooner than he had planned.

Once he grabbed his things for his first class, he shut his locker and locked it as he walked off in the direction towards French II. Taking a few deep breaths and short exhales as he walked, he passed by everyone in the halls without speaking, and walked directly into the classroom he had been assigned to without much thought. Cam's eyes remained locked on the floor as he walked to the first free desk in the room and sat down.

"Oh my God, is that who I think it is?" Zoe Rivas whispered as she leaned over to speak to Chewy; yet he looked totally lost. After all Winston and Miles were more into polo and tennis than hockey. "I'll be right back," the actress added as she stood up to go over to Cam's desk. Zoe tossed the locks of her shoulder length wavy brown hair behind her shoulder as she slowly made way for Cam's desk. "Salut, je suis Zoe. Zoe Rivas. C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer." The brunette spoke confidently as she introduced herself.

Cam pulled his eyes away from his notebook to look up at the thin brunette standing next to his desk. The grade eleven student furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out where he had seen this girl before. "Do I know you from somewhere?" Cam questioned.

"Well... I was on West Drive until I left the show recently! Does that show sound familiar?" Zoe responded, giving Cam a flirty look but his eyes were already locked on someone else. Just as they began to talk, Maya walked in and headed straight over to Miles' desk to sit with him. Cam watched as the blonde happily sat down next to him and how they immediately locked hands. He could feel the pit of his stomach drop out and his heart sink inside his chest as he watched them sit together - suddenly, the all too familiar feeling of his nerves turning his stomach into a knot was more than enough to make him want to get up and leave the room. But he couldn't.

Turning his attention back to Zoe, Cam smirked and nodded his head before speaking up. "Yeah, actually, I've seen you on television before. I don't watch the show but I've seen you do interviews and stuff. And... I'm guessing you know who I am, right?" Cam replied, over his time back home - he finally had gained some confidence in himself and it was certainly showing. Just a year ago; he wouldn't have been able to speak to Zoe in such a way.

"You're the hockey player for the Toronto Ice Hounds. Of course I know who you are!" Zoe replied.

"Well, have a seat Zoe. Maybe you can help me out with getting reacquainted to French?" Cam suggested, immediately charming the girl and she nodded her head without hesitation.

"Of course. In fact, I would like to help you get reacquainted with the school - if that's okay with you?" She offered. Glancing over to Maya then back at Zoe - and with a simple nod he accepted her offer.

"Sounds perfect to me, Zoe."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I should probably note that my French isn't well... my French. I use Google to help me with it; so I apologize for anything that appears wrong okay? Don't blame me! **

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Before they knew it, it was time for roll call in French class after the bell rang. The teacher started with Winston Chu and went down the list as Cam looked around to see who everyone was. The teacher went down the list - calling off name after name - and slowly made her way to Maya. "Excusez-moi, Maya Matlin, s'il vous plaît se concentrer ou je vais vous passer à un autre siège!" Madame Jean-Aux exclaimed, earning the attention of the petite blonde. Maya turned around and faced the front of the classroom. Still, surprisingly, Maya didn't notice a familar boy sitting just feet away from her. Maybe it was because he had changed slightly in his appearance; or maybe it was the fact that he was doing his best to avoid letting her see him until his name was called. Still, she wasn't paying much attention and little did she know - she was about to get the surprise of a lifetime.

"En outre, classe, s'il vous plaît accueillir à nouveau Campbell Saunders!" Madame Jean-Aux added happily. The moment she spoke those simple words, Maya leaned up and looked over to her right were Cam was seated at the front of the class with Zoe right behind him. The moment she laid eyes on Cam, Maya could nearly feel the tears forming in her eyes as she remembered their break up, and how he left without saying anything to her after their night together. Looking him over, the only thing different about Cam was his height and the fact that he was slightly more buff. He looked good and Maya could feel her heart breaking the longer she sat there.

Standing up, she grabbed her things then rushed out the door into the hallway - knowing she was heading right for an emotional breakdown. Cam got up then followed her out the door, giving the teacher a slightly sympathetic look as he followed his ex-girlfriend into the halls, while leaving his new classmates to wonder what was going on. "Maya, wait! Please wait up!" Cam called out as he chased her right up to the bathroom doors in the hallway; where she turned to glare at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," Cam stated apologetically, locking eyes with the blue eyed blonde.

"Save it, Cam. I really don't want to hear your apologies now that you're back. And don't you dare tell me that you came back to get me back or that you missed me," Maya exclaimed angrily, the tears falling from her eyes as she looked back at him with both hatred and sorrow in her eyes. "If you cared about me you wouldn't have taken off like that. You would have had the guts to at least tell me you were leaving."

"I know and I should have told you! I wasn't thinking clearly. You have to understand that I was really messed up last year. You don't even know the half of it," Cam pleaded as he leaned against the lockers.

Maya rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Frankly, I couldn't give a damn about it anymore. After what happened between us - I'm done caring about you and I've moved on. Maybe you should do the same!" Maya nearly shouted, her voice echoing down the halls as she turned to go into the bathroom. "And don't fucking follow me in here!"

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After entering the bathroom, Maya found herself slumped against the bathroom door in tears from seeing Cam again. It was too much, knowing that he could just come back to Degrassi and his old life without thinking much about the consequences of his actions. Maya couldn't think of a single person that wanted to see him, anyway. Cam's heart sank as he stood outside the door to the bathroom. "Fine, I guess I have to move on then," Cam thought out loud as he began to walk back towards his first period class, allowing Maya to have her privacy.

As he sat down in his desk, he noticed everyone was already paired up for a project and he turned to Zoe who seemed to have been waiting on him. "I claimed you as my partner for this project we're doing!" Zoe admitted as she slid a worksheet in his direction. "We're supposed to get to know one another a little better through asking each other questions and answering them - in French." Zoe added and Cam looked down at the white piece of paper.

"Do you want to go first?" He asked.

"Sure." Zoe responded. She lifted the piece of paper and began to read off the first question. "Où vous voyez-vous dans cinq ans?" the brunette asked, keeping eye contact with Cam. The hockey star furrowed his brow as he thought of the answer - it was obvious, he saw himself in the NHL and settled down, with no one else but Maya. However, he couldn't say that so he decided to lie about his answer.

"Where do I see myself five years from now?" Cam asked, thinking the words out loud again as he spoke. "Faire la même chose que je fais maintenant. Peut-être que je vais prendre des cours à université, aussi." he replied, telling her he could only see himself doing what he was doing now - only with a little bit of studying in-between.

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Before he knew it, his first period class was over and he was heading to his next class of the day. Zoe was beside him as he made his way to his locker; seeing as how she already had her stuff for the next class in her arms. "So, I'm having a party this weekend and I was wondering if you would like to attend?" She asked, her tone of voice a hopeful yet upbeat one. "You would be my guest of honor!"

Cam stopped in his tracks, his brown eyes locking with Zoe's as he smirked. "Are you asking me to be your date?" He questioned. Zoe nodded with a faint smile; hoping that he was about to say yes. As Maya and Miles brushed by them, hand in hand, the two glanced at their exes and Cam made up his mind. "You know what? Yeah, I would love to be your date to your party!" Cam answered, a little louder than his normal tone of voice so that Maya would hear him.

The blonde scoffed as she continued to walk with Miles. Rolling her blue eyes as she heard Cam agree to go out with Zoe. "Hopefully he won't catch something," she muttered under her breath as her stomach twisted itself into a knot.

"Cool, I'll text you the details after school. It's this Saturday so I hope you won't be busy." Zoe exclaimed happily.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't be."


End file.
